Yaoi, Yuri and Pairings in General
by Mystoftime
Summary: A simple, easy to follow guide on writing pairings in fan fiction. Ever felt like your pairing needed spice or something was off? It won't be a problem any more.


**Yaoi, Yuri and Pairings in General**

**(Or How to Write Fan Fiction with Character Pairings)**

**I. Introduction-** There's no one right way to write fan fiction. After all, there is a reason why it's called _fan_ fiction. As long as the author of the original work does not specifically prohibit it and you don't try to copyright, you are at liberty to do whatever you want with the plot, characters… you name it. Even if you torture those poor creations or insert you own "OCs" it's the way to show your love and devotion to a fandom and if someone doesn't appreciate it like you do or like your story then you can only tell them one thing- don't read it. But, we all know that whether we read or write fan fiction and have come to a mutual understanding. What I intend to address here is the central "interest point" in nearly all fan fiction, whether the author intends to or not it's there hiding in the background like a persistent puppy. This central point is derived from the main characters of the chosen fandom or fandoms; pairings.

As a result, how you introduce these character pairings often decides a number of important things such as the quality of the story, the sincerity of the characters themselves and the overall pace and format to interest readers. You must address it as one would a delicate piece of machinery that depends on just the right expertise in order for it to work with and compliment the whole. First of all, if you want the reader to _really _enjoy your fan fiction pairing it is always wise to take into account the type of fiction you are portraying.

For instance; I'll use popular anime and manga series for this example, some are more inclined towards romance than others. Though it is true that you can and should have interaction between the original characters in general or without romance. However, we'll focus on the pairings for now.

Type 1: Shojo Manga (otherwise known as manga for a female audience) is almost always centered on or around romance and it is typically very easy for a fan to write about these characters. They cooperate with each other no matter what the pairing and the reader can feel very comfortable with the story even if it's more descriptive. A good example is the series _Vampire Knight_ by Matsuri Hino. Just in the manga itself there are wide variations of pairings that can be observed. I must say that if you wish to experiment more in depth with pairings, especially yaoi and yuri you should start with this category.

Type 2: Adventure/ action with romance incorporated. This category is slightly more sensitive to the writer's way of making fan fiction and the overall style. It's where the author focuses less on character pairings and much more on fighting and action. You'll see this in shonen, or manga for a male audience, as boys tend to prefer the more action-packed pages rather than the usual school age love in shojo. Yet, don't despair yet, if you look carefully you can see hints of romance and budding feelings here and there. The author has left some room for fans to imagine. Masashi Kishimoto's _Naruto_ and _Naruto Shippuden_ display this quite well. The best advice I can give you for attempting to write about these characters is to pay attention to the little stuff between the lines.

Type 3: Adventure/Action/ Violence with little or no romance is probably the most difficult to work with. The characters themselves show no real love or affection beyond friendship and kinship among family and are more likely to kill each other than partake in a steamy make out session. Basically, they absolutely refuse to do anything out-of character with simple means. This can prove increasingly frustrating for the novice writer and could cause a good amount of nail biting. Of course, the easiest solution would stick with gen or the original relationships, but that wouldn't be nearly as fun. The trick is to ease the little suckers into it, and, for a smooth transition, try not to make them do anything too out of character since you've already got them chasing after people they would usually insult instead. I rather think _One Piece_ by Eiichiro Oda and _Hellsing_ would demonstrate this perfectly.

So, basically, this is telling you to forget all your notions of making the characters do outrageous things only… I do want you to do that, but with precision and good writing which I will give you more insight into right away. And here we go!

**II. Yaoi-** Ah, yaoi, one of the touchiest parts of fan fiction ever, yet definitely one of the most widespread and popular genres. People hate, love, obsess, bawl their eyes out, admire, scream, dream and run away in terror from its endless possibilities. But this guide to pairings would certainly be lacking without yaoi, wouldn't it?Before I begin I'll address two important things, the first is almost unnecessary, but I'll put it out anyways. If you don't know what yaoi is or are just not familiar with its workings, yaoi is another word for guy on guy action and when you read a yaoi piece it is more often or not sexual and sometimes rather detailed. So, be forewarned, if you are not a fan then if you see this word don't complain to the author, just don't read it. I myself am not a huge fan, but I respect those who write works involving yaoi.

Second, with pairings in general, but especially the ever-growing yaoi out there, you must accept that not everyone who reads your fan fiction will like it. There will always be those with positive and negative opinions and it is a basic human right so don't feel bad if you get one bad review. There will be plenty more in the future and there are bound to be some who like your way of writing yaoi or a pairing. And a last note, authors of yaoi, especially if yours is visual and not necessarily appropriate for all audiences, it's always a nice courtesy to mention your fic contains yaoi in a summary. The readers will appreciate the tip and you're less likely to get negative feedback.

I know that some of you are wondering, _why do I need to put a warning if it says this character times this character or if they'll know in the first sentence?_

Well, the simple answer is this; you don't know for sure and if it's just a precaution- why not?

The main thing to remember when writing yaoi is to pay very close attention to detail and recall that a little goes a long way. There really is no need to give your readers an extensive minute-by-minute record of how two guy characters hooked up. That is, unless you want your fan fiction to be read like porn and if so, warnings should be given. So, yes, yaoi is a trouble child. But, anyone can write yaoi. What really makes a piece of work stand out is how well it portrays the characters. Not anyone can write good yaoi. Subtlety is your secret weapon as well as bringing the characters' personalities to light to support your romantic pairing.

Try this. Instead of writing, _He grabbed his target and cradled him in his arms as he gave him a deep, passionate kiss. The other man used his hands to their full advantage while clutching him closer. They knew what awaited them in bed._

Write, _The blonde gentleman winked suggestively in passing at the younger boy and slipped a piece of paper into his surprised hands. A rosy blush came to his cheeks as he read the note and made a beeline for the address, a smile gracing his features._

See how a similar scenario is approached with much greater finesse and subtleness? It's a spin-off of the all-important rule of show not tell. In writing, but especially yaoi and yuri, you can control your story more fully and make the flow more natural by changing the simplest of things. Rather than outright stating what the two men were planning, it was converted to a simple passing of a note.

Here you allow the reader's imagination to come into play and the action itself can be construed in a multitude of ways. This trick is also vital to making the reader want to continue reading to find out what happens. If you just tell them, their interest won't be as peaked and they become overwhelmed with the onslaught of information. Simply put, readers love to imagine and fill in the blanks of what's happening and love to be surprised by the outcome just as much.

**III. Yuri-** The opposite of yaoi, with girl on girl action, I won't go into depth with yuri quite so much. Partly considering that it follows the basic rules for yaoi and the other part, because most will not be looking at writing yuri. Why? Because guess who the majority of fan fiction writers and readers are? Yeah, it's girls and I know that there are probably some guys who also spend time extending their love of certain fandoms, but you won't see much.

Of course the reason is due to girls liking the idea of two guys going at it even more than just a guy and a girl. After all, aren't two hotties better than one? This is the line of logic that some like to follow, and even if you're not a fan of that girls won't often read or write about yuri. It's kind of sad, considering the term is still there and continues to be used, but some will keep it alive.

Yet, seeing as I have yet to encounter true yuri fan fiction I have little advice to give. Apart from using little tricks to entice your readers while keeping it teasingly subtle and learning to adapt your style to the characters' voices and feelings. Especially if you are used to gen and would like to try out something new. Go on a few test runs without publishing online and go over it or have a friend or family member do so. Your reaction and theirs will let you set a base for when you're ready to really try your hand at yuri and unleashing it on the world.

**IV. General-** You won't get by writing fan fiction without inserting some general romantic pairings in your work every once and a while. It's back to the comfort zone for those unused to yaoi and yuri with the traditional boy meets girl and if you have ventured into the unknown it will feel even easier. Especially after these tips, it's about time you showed those stubborn characters to fall in love with each other the right way. No longer will you have to tie them up and force-feed them vegetables to get them to show the tiniest affection (though torturing them is still fun). Just twist them to your whim and soon you'll come out on top.

First thing you need to know, the authors _want_ fans to write about their characters unless they say otherwise. It's basically giving them a huge compliment saying, "I love your TV show, book, movie, manga, anime etc. so much I want to write about it to get even more." So, even if you may feel bad about what you do to their precious creations… remember that if you do it well no ones going to give you trouble. Gear up and be prepared to take a risk!

Second, as I mentioned earlier, each story has something going on between the lines and the great part about that is it looks a little different to each person. That means you can be sure that your idea will be original, unless of course it's so obvious that it's a waste of time to write something that's overused. Let's see… for instance (I'll use the _One Piece_ universe as an example) when you look at the adventures of the Straw Hats you see what Oda created. Any one could see that, but if you're observant and squint a little harder what's that? A missing timeframe where anything could have happened and the author didn't go into detail? There's your plot. Then put you binoculars to your eyes after a fair amount of practice and you can see the character's interactions freshly again.

This is a matter of opinion and point of view, so everyone's thought processes will work differently. In my case, when I look at Luffy and the rest I see scenarios to put them in that are unique and interesting. Then when I search for a viable pairing, though they need not be so as long as you portray it well, I see only one; Zoro and Robin and even that would be far-fetched if I was thinking general. But, choosing pairings doesn't require it to be likely, just knowing the characters is usually enough and you wouldn't be here if you didn't.

Third, creativity is what everyone has, needs or wants and most writers are the very embodiment of it. Unless you're writing non-fiction, then you just need to have access to real information. Getting your general pairing in new and often strange situations takes a certain amount of imagination and with the right inspiration it's simple. The girl and boy pairing are already easy to work with and the ideas should just flow. If you need help coming up with something that hasn't been used try thinking of a real-life experience, an inside joke or an object as a prompt for the characters to act out. Once you do and if you want to make sure you remember the idea, do the smart thing and jot down a short summary on a piece of paper to look out later. It keeps your spontaneous flashes of inspiration organized and in one place and it works better than just hoping to keep it at the forefront of your mind when you're occupied. I don't know how many times I've gotten an idea, but forgotten it just as quickly. It sucks, it really does.

One last piece of advice pertaining only to traditional pairings, just because they offer straightforward romance without the dilemma of boys or girls together and the mass of confusion it comes with, doesn't mean it isn't complicated. Sure, general pairings are likely to get more acceptances among readers uncomfortable with yaoi and yuri, but you can't make it too easy. It can't be like, BAM! We're meant to be together, I love you and we should get married. **Real** relationships have drama, so don't leave it out or forget the story plot in the mean time.

Okay, we're nearing the end. Read on for closure… if you dare.

**V. Odds and Ends-** We've made it thus far and now you know how to deal with romantic pairings of all shapes and sizes. The only part left is letting you be aware of some do's and don'ts that could be your savior or the death of you.

**Do's:**

**Do** let your reader know what the rating is accurately and what your pairing is, if there is one.

**Do** add in other characters besides the pairing if you can help it. It adds additional laughs and a crutch to lean on.

**Do** make it sweet over sexy if the situation allows. The innocence will win every time.

**Do** remember to check over your writing please. Everyone respects you all the more for it.

**Do** watch for inconsistencies. If a character says or does one thing that contradicts the other people will only get confused.

**Do** let the characters' express their feelings, or the reason behind them.

**Do** refresh your memory if your referencing something gen.

**Do **be original. Come up with fresh ideas instead of using ones that are way too obvious. If you see more than two or three similar stories you're entering dangerous territory.

**Do** be humorous. Often people read fan fiction for some good poking fun at their favorite characters. It's no wonder people prefer to laugh rather than cry!

**Do** be bold. We understand you're new to this, but don't use it as an excuse to hide under a rock like your timid writing. If you're not confident, you're story won't be either.

**Don'ts:**

** Don't** ever blame poor writing on something other than yourself. Sure, you may be inexperienced, but it just takes practice.

**Don't** try writing a scene if you can't properly put it to words. Your characters, and your readers, will thank you.

**Don't** make the characters act out of character, or "OCC". A little is okay is special circumstances, but, really? We don't read it to hear one character acting like another without a good reason.

**Don't** forget to get advice on something you're unsure about. Asking for help does not mean it makes you look like an amateur.

**Don't** have one pairing and then ditch it for another in the middle of a fic. It will come back and bite you later on.

**Don't** let poor reviews get to you. People are usually just trying to help you improve you're writing and even if they're just being plain mean, ignore it, responding snarky will just make more trouble.

**Don't **tell, but show instead. It _will_ make your writing better and will accentuate your pairing without making it too obvious.

**Don't **be cocky. The writer's emotions often shine through their characters and story, making them seem unlikable if they are lazily put together. Mistakes are human and they will be there.

**Don't** add OC x canon character pairings. An OC is really just a wishful version of you when involved in fan fiction. Once they start becoming equal with the actual characters it turns into that and we _really_ don't want to read about those pairings.

**Don't** give up. You may be a beginner, a somewhat experienced or a professional writer. Either way you're just at the start of your journey and the fun is just beginning!


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